This affair is wearing me out
by eine.hexe
Summary: All she wanted to do was help and he was in her way. The truth can never be a good thing when a perfect lie leads to a perfect affair, so how can they hide the secret? AU
1. first you meet them

**This affair is wearing me out.**

o•.•oo.o•.•

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money with this story.

_A/N: Firstly, keep in mind:_

_affair = a romantic and sexual relationship, especially a secret one, between two people who are not married to each other_

_Sorry for starting yet another story when I have countless others unfinished, but you know how I am. You'll forgive me if you know what's good for you. *insert evil laughter* And thank those who've been patient and supportive, I love all of you :) Now on a more serious note, I think my activity as a FanFiction writer will be nearing its end (not _right _now, but you know, I'm just letting you know), so I'm trying to find my inspiration in order to finish as many stories as possible, because I don't particularly like it when others leave theirs without closure, so yeah. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one._

Warning: Coarse language and sexual situations._  
_

•.••.•o

His brain didn't feel even a bit clogged yet and he'd already drunk enough to be convinced that he would have already become a speechless, dizzy lump, had he been a mere teenager. As it was, he didn't have to worry about this kind of things, his hanyou nature aiding his general, practiced resistance to alcohol. He could tell Miroku was shitfaced, though. The bouzu liked his liquor when he had the chance to fuck around and that was an understatement. The two chicks sitting on his lap and the unreserved show of feminine tongues licking various parts of his body said enough about that.

Inuyasha wasn't bored. He hadn't gotten around to dancing yet, but the fitting time would come; he had to at least get a tad hazy first.

It was crazy. The blinding, neon lights that jumped about the club with piercing glints, the sharp smells, all the bodies that kept grinding into each other; they were all just there and so natural to him now. He'd once tried to get the point of clubs in general without hope of ever succeeding, but now he didn't have to. He didn't do clubs often, but when he did, it was just about feeling. Just… an escape.

So many short skirts and tempting cleavages, so many subtle colors that still made his brain feel abused, yet for a fleeting moment one body stood out among the negligible womanly curves. With the flawless, sexy back of a pornographic dirty dancer she gave a new meaning to the word erotic. The way he saw her, she was in the middle of the dance floor, taking over it, easily able to tame those around her with sinuous moves as if she were a puppeteer on the top of the world. The gorgeous woman dropped down slowly to the floor before getting back up in a smooth motion only to provide a mind-blasting sight of herself dipping backwards sensuously with her shoulder blade length hair sweeping the ground superficially, steadied by the strong, male arms of her dance partner. Inuyasha found himself stifling a suspiciously random growl of jealousy that drove his hand to reach toward the Smirnoff Vodka shot. Narrowing his eyes, he downed it in a short gulp before setting it back on the counter noisily.

Deciding he wasn't going to waste an entire night on a broad that was taken – especially now that he knew how bad it was to cling to one person, what with _her_ memory still fresh in mind – Inuyasha pushed the newly filled shot away, scrunching his nose. He was surprised to feel a shaky arm grip his shoulder. Looking to the side he was slapped in the face by the heady smell of booze as Miroku leaned a few inches from his face, looking quite serious.

"Shit, get off, man!" Inuyasha warned, pushing the drunk away.

Predictably, the lecher started laughing wildly, though still unsteady on his feet.

"Fuck, man, this place is fucking perfect for a cumshot, I'm telling ya. Wanna see? I can get them two bitches to fuck me right here, right now. Come on, Yash! Tell your man, wanna see?"

Amused by the familiar behavior of his intoxicated friend, Inuyasha decided to dare him to do it.

"Yeah, I wanna see," he challenged.

Raising his brows, Miroku looked surprised. "Really? Ya wanna see?"

"It's what I said. Show me."

"Yeah man, I'll show you!" Miroku declared, sounding very determined.

"Then show me. Fuck 'em."

"Yeah, I'll fuck 'em all right."

"Right on the dance floor," Inuyasha added, almost unable to hold back the laughter that was bubbling inside his chest.

"Yeah! There! Wherever they want, man. No, wherever _you_ want! _They_ don't matter, they're just pussies."

"Yeah, that's right," Inuyasha conceded, having lots of fun with only watching the distinct expressions Miroku's face assumed.

"I'll go ask 'em," he said finally, taking off to find the girls he'd made out with until then.

Inuyasha snickered to himself, assured that there was no way the girls would accept such a proposition. He furrowed his brows in mild concentration as his eyes roamed around in search of a willing dance partner. The corners of his mouth lifted in a display of playful approval when he spotted the hot redhead sitting alone near the dance floor. Conspicuously, he caught her gaze and held it for a few moments before looking around to check for male competition. Upon finding none, he smirked cockily, advancing with steady steps. He'd scored for tonight.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Kagome was having a blast. It wasn't often that she had the chance to let herself go like that, but when she did she sure as hell made the best of it. Her career made sure she was always excessively busy, so she barely found the time to indulge trivial things such as having a girls' night out with her favorite girl friend.

Disentangling her body from the eye candy that was her date for the night, she threw a glance over her shoulder, spotting Sango right away. The slightly older and definitely taller woman was sitting on a man's lap, licking every part of him that she could reach. Of course, Kagome wasn't surprised to see _another_ girl on the same man's lap, trying to keep up with Sango's zeal, but it was official: you couldn't beat Sango when she was tipsy. And she'd earned the right to be. Hell, even _Kagome _herself was tipsy, but just enough so she could feel less inhibited. As soon as she caught her friend engaging in a lip lock with the other woman, though, she guessed Sango was no longer only tipsy, but all the way drunk.

Shrugging carelessly, Kagome dropped to the floor slowly, intentionally teasingly, before pulling herself back up with a sexy arch of her back. A furtive smile played on her lips when she heard Kouga grunt, and she found herself thrilled by his boosted fervor as he bent her back until she could feel her long hair caress the floor. She relished the feel of his tongue stealing a short taste of the skin on her chest before he straightened her with expert ease. The wolf demon, a professional athlete she'd met when he'd come to ask her for nutritional advice, threw her a fiery look that melted her insides. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or if he truly had such a great effect on her, but she was certain he was coming home with her tonight.

Smiling at him in kind, Kagome cupped his cheek and leaned forward, ready to initiate their first kiss. Reality kicked in, though, to show her, once again, how distinctively bitchy it was when Kouga's cell phone went off loudly to ruin the mood. Naturally, he pulled away with an apologetic expression. She kept her smile in place, but lost her composure when she heard his slapdash, "I need to get this. It's my wife."

Her eyes widened and she nodded dumbly, staring at his back as he pushed through the mass of people to get to fresh air and much required silence. Finally realizing her mouth was open – she probably resembled a gaping fish – Kagome clamped it shut, refusing to let her anger and humiliation show. The five inch heels almost got her to stumble a few times, but not even they could prevent her from heading to the bar and ordering a couple of absinthe shots.

She mused about her bad luck with men over the years; it was why she didn't do relationships: first it had been Houjo, her high school sweetheart she had lost her virginity to after a total of four years together. They'd kept their boringly normal relationship going for another two years, until Kagome finally couldn't stand the dull rhythm of their life together anymore and decided to sever the bond conclusively; then there had been Bankotsu – a stud that had unfortunately freaked her out more than anything else, because of his strange fetish of blood. Of course, there had been flings here and there, but they were forgotten now, as Kagome openly thought about how much of a bastard Kouga was. To lead her on like that when he was _married_… and to say it so casually; the nerve!

Shaking her head to clear her mind of thoughts that would soon sour her mood, Kagome stood up and looked around to spot Sango, who was dancing wildly without awareness of anything else. Eventually, she decided her friend could find her way home by herself. Pursing her lips and grabbing her blazer, she exited the club pensively, hoping to get a lift.

•.••.•o

The bitch, Ayame, was truly something else. After she'd slapped him for making lewd – or truthful, as he preferred to call them – comments about her body, she'd thrown countless caustic remarks at him, successfully quenching the fire that had previously taken residence in his loins. She had a mouth to fit her wild temper and it was clear to him now why she was sitting alone when he'd first spotted her. With a crazy bitch like her, who would ever be a happily satisfied man?

Scrunching his nose in disgust, Inuyasha dangled the keys of his car to distract himself as he neared the parking lot. He'd have to leave Miroku without a ride, because he was too damn spent to wait around for the bouzu's sorry ass until after he got some. No way was he going to do that.

He was opening the door to his BMW when he saw a gorgeous, seemingly shaken woman looking around helplessly. Cursing his soft interior, Inuyasha went over to her and asked her if she needed a lift. The woman smiled in gratitude, following him back to his car.

As soon as her short skirt made contact with the customized, beige leather seat, however, he knew they were in serious danger of an accident. After sticking the key into the ignition and twisting it in a subconscious gesture, his hands gripped the wheel until his knuckles went white from restraint. This chick… she was definitely a hot piece of ass. He eyed her lean legs surreptitiously, noting how they went on forever, disappearing into the fashionably long, though also teasingly short skirt that left enough to the imagination for a red-blooded man like him to fantasize about. Her cleavage was divine, as it offered him a glimpse of heavenly shaped breasts, and after so much temptation back inside the club he could barely stand the strain.

The woman must have noticed his glances despite his attempted discretion, seeing as her treacherous heart started to beat wildly inside her chest, a sound he found he particularly enjoyed. She rubbed her legs together to ease the pressure of arousal, but it was in vain; he'd already smelt it. The canine ears atop his head twitched when the woman took a deep breath and exhaled it in the form of a sigh. Inuyasha's brow furrowed at the unexpected sound.

"Something wrong? I'm not gonna kill you, rest assured," he joked, hoping to lighten the mood that had decreased so suddenly.

Kagome gave a weak chuckle before looking out the window musingly, releasing another one of those disturbing sighs instead of answering.

Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha placed his right hand on her bare thigh to get her attention, which he did. Immediately, her head snapped towards him, undoubtedly analyzing his cocky smirk.

"I can cheer you up if you want me to."

A shiver went through her body from head to toes and he felt it quiver under his fingertips on her skin.

"Don't be a pig," she taunted, her sour mood now mysteriously gone.

"I'm not. I'm all dog, babe," he countered, his eyes trained on the road. He didn't notice her own gaze traveling up his form to inspect his fluffy ears, the color of his silver hair.

With a smirk of her own, Kagome decided to play daring. Twisting in her seat so that he was forced to take his hand back, she faced him completely, drawing her knees to her chest and leaning against the window for support. The smirk turned devilish as she took her right platform shoe off and extended her leg to land in his lap, right on his obvious erection.

Inuyasha started and nearly lost control of the car as he was switching lanes to pass a slow truck. His shock was short-lived, though, because pleasure overrode his brain and soon he couldn't focus on anything else but the feel of her bare heel working him up until he would become a brainwashed puppy begging at her feet.

"Shit, woman," he cursed under his breath, his eyes rolling back into his head for a moment. "I'm driving here," he reminded her and gulped dryly when he felt her foot increase the pressure a tad.

"Want me to stop?" she purred seductively, grinning when she heard him groan. A bead of sweat formed on his temple as Inuyasha tried to suppress his bodily reactions to her ministrations. But by the way all the blood went downward to one specific area, clouding his senses, he realized he was going to cum a lot sooner than he would have expected. The need to make a good impression fled speedily; he couldn't care less of what she thought about him getting his rocks off so soon. Closing his eyes briefly, he gritted his teeth as he released his load right into his dark jeans, a deep growl threatening to spill from his throat if he didn't get it together.

Kagome grinned smugly, retracting her foot and tilting her head to the right, studying the gorgeous male specimen panting in front of her as he tried to focus on the road.

"You know," he said, the low quality of his hoarse voice sending shivers up and down her spine, "you're really playing with fire." He locked gazes with her for a second and she wanted to look away. The intensity of his liquid amber stare was compelling and it felt as if he was stripping her soul bare by fantasy alone. Her mind was assaulted by images of two naked bodies pressing fervently against one another, thrashing about in abandon. Kagome pursed her lips momentarily. If he weren't so damn sexy she wouldn't be so wet and ready for him. She could just picture his perfect body doing things to her that she hadn't felt in a long time, but it was all familiar. This burning ache, this silly game. She was tempted to have him drive her home then invite him inside for a wild night of smoldering pleasure, but she was tired of this. Whenever she had some time for herself it was the same thing. She found some amazingly handsome guy who promised her unattainable heights and she fucked him without ever again hearing from him afterwards. It was so pathetic; it made her feel so… lonely. Utterly lonely.

She didn't want that anymore. It was decided; this guy had to wait. Maybe even to work for it. He had to make her want him, make her want to _keep_ him. Yet if she were to be completely honest with herself, she was afraid he _would_ qualify for the position… not only the one between her legs, that is. She broke the brief eye contact to look through the window and gauge their whereabouts before nodding curtly.

"You can drop me off here," she announced, anticipating his confusion.

Slowing down, Inuyasha realized they were next to a park but nowhere near to a residential area, as it seemed.

"Are you sure?" he asked reluctantly, worried she might get mugged or something. "I can drive you all the way to your place." Unable to restrain himself, he grinned at the images that suggestion brought, but Kagome shook her head.

"No, I'm sure. Just stop the car here, please," she asked as sweetly as possible, battling her eyelashes at him in a fashion she knew few guys could resist.

"Okay," he did as told with a great deal of hesitation, eying her suspiciously. So he wasn't going to get any after all? After the incredible orgasm she'd just given him? Somehow, he wanted to pay her in kind, his male ego already bruised, but he ignored it in favor of planning how to ask her for her number of something. He stopped just at the entrance of the park and turned his head to look at her, but by the time he'd opened his mouth she was already out of the car. Blinking dumbly, Inuyasha was torn between scratching his seat out of sheer frustration and running after the damn bitch to drag her back to his car and have his way with her.

His eyes settled on a tiny piece of paper on the beige passenger seat. Picking it up, he noticed the neatly scribbled handwriting and grinned openly.

_Kagome_

_489-555-3456_

_25 Maple Avenue_

He contemplated going to her and fucking her like he wanted, but decided against it. It was obvious it wasn't what she had in mind. Maybe it was his imagination, but she had seemed a bit troubled; he didn't want to push his luck. If she'd given him her number _and_ address it meant she was interested. Well, he was interested, too. With legs for days like hers, he definitely wouldn't mind to have her wrapped around his body in the most intimate way possible. He'd even work for it if he had to. He'd give her a week, tops. Besides, things weren't very crowded at work for the time being, so he could certainly spare some time.

But first he had to show her that he, too, was interested. It didn't take long to reach his own apartment that mirrored his 'cool bachelor' personality to the last detail; only about ten-fifteen minutes. As soon as he got in, he called her. Taking a deep breath, he waited until she answered.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Kagome didn't know whether to sigh or smile. The night had been so complex, so she didn't know what to do with herself. She asked herself what her mother would advise her, but she couldn't even remember the wonderful pieces of advice the woman would always given her. It seemed so long since she'd passed away, even if it was only three years. Her whole family had crumbled then. Her father had found a replacement in alcohol, her brother Souta had become a rebellious misfit and left home… she was sure she wouldn't recognize him if he ever passed her by on the street.

But no one knew. She hadn't told anyone about her troubles; besides, what would the others say about her inability in saving her own family? No, telling anyone was out of the question. That was exactly why the holidays supposedly spent with her family found her roaming the streets of a nameless city or another, either in the arms of some stranger or by herself, inhaling fresh air.

It was so sad that she felt like crying, but her still limited life experience taught her to always be strong. She'd donned a stony, professional exterior that had gotten her far in her job. People respected her for her clever findings and innovations, her witty comebacks and the fact that she had balls, unlike most from her profession. It wasn't easy to be a renowned nutritionist. And now, after the _exposé of a supposedly organic farm that had lied about their products _she received even more praise and admiration.

If people knew that Higurashi Kagome was a wreck that would cry 24/7 if given the chance, they would surely change their minds about her. Their trust in her ability to save lives would wane. She wasn't only one to always know the right kind of nutritional advice to give, like any acclaimed nutritionist, but she was also unafraid to reveal gruesome facts and thus quarrel with a lot of influential people. Not many nutritionists could say they had the guts to point fingers like she did. Kagome was forever unflustered by the cruel remarks newspapers and magazines paid by the people she exposed wrote about her. She was one to do whatever she could in order to _help_ people.

She wanted to help, that was all.

In no time at all she'd walked through the park, fearless even if it was at night, and just crossed a couple of streets before reaching her cozy, bright loft. She turned on the lights and smiled at the femininely decorated place she called home. Sighing once more, she collapsed on the smooth sofa without having even removed her heels. Her peripheral vision showed her a couple of dried leaves next to the door, undoubtedly having stuck to her platformed heels.

It was autumn that made her so sad. It had been October when her mother had died and now it felt as if she was reviving it. The ache, the inability to deal with the grief sensibly. So many failures: her family, now Kouga. Her love life was nonexistent and even though she sometimes longed for a man to keep her on her toes, she was aware of the fact that it wouldn't work out. She was too scared… of relationships in general. Her relationship with her mother had been exterminated upon her sudden death, her bond with her brother and father had dissolved as a result, her previous relationships with men had proved terrible, and now Kouga... She'd really taken a liking to him; he was smart, athletic, a great speaker. How come he'd never mentioned he was married? How come no one talked about it in the press? She'd followed tabloids about him, but no one had ever brought that up.

Her musings were rudely interrupted when her cell phone beeped noisily and she dove inside her clutch bag to find it.

"Hello?"

"Hi there, stranger," a positively potent male voice greeted. Kagome sat immediately straight, her attention focused on the receiver.

"Who is this?" she asked in a silky voice that sent delicate shivers through the man without her knowing.

"I've barely dropped you off and you've already forgotten me?" he teased, ignorant of the flip-flops invisible butterflies were doing inside her belly. "That's not polite, you know."

"Oh, h-hi," she said, stammering over words. She hadn't expected him to call back – well, she _had_ expected him to call back, but not so soon. It had been a last-minute decision for her to quickly write down her number and address and leave it on the passenger seat before taking off. "Thank you for that, by the way. I forgot to tell you back in the car."

"Yeah, when you just fled," he commented casually, though there was an edge to his voice that made her smirk in amusement.

"What? Disappointed?" she goaded, remembering how she'd worked him up until she'd made him cum in his jeans like a teenage schoolboy. Surely he'd expected them to go all the way by the end of the night.

"You bet," he replied as the smug smile that could be distinguished in his voice did things to her that she wasn't expecting.

"Mm," she mused. "Maybe I should have stayed some more."

"Maybe," he agreed.

"You know," she realized, "I don't even know your name."

At that he laughed, the rich quality of the sound filling her with indescribable feelings. She found herself wanting to hear him laugh some more. "I think it's a fair trade," he declared.

"Well, _I_ think it's not," she complained. "I mean, you know my name _and_ my number _and_ my address, and the only thing I know about you is that you have dog ears and that you _growl…_" She let her words linger for a while and heard a deep vibration no doubt coming from him. Her charms had worked and she really thought there was hope he'd cave in and tell her his name.

"And we'll leave it at that, babe. Until I get to see more of you, that's all you're going to know about me. Besides, you know my number, too, now," he pointed out smartly.

"Yes, I do. Well, if you're not going to tell me your name, then that gives me the right to find you a suitable nickname," she suggested devilishly, relishing his sharp intake of air.

"Whatever," he said gruffly, already anticipating the outrage.

"Dogboy," she offered lightly, ignoring his outspoken disagreement in favor of repeating the pet name a few times, as if to taste it on her tongue.

"Geez, you're such a bitch," he said, though his tone didn't make it sound offensive in the least. It made it sound rather affectionate if she thought about it.

"I know, dogboy. And they love me for it."

"I bet they do."

Kagome's face lit up in a smile as she listened to him breathe steadily through the receiver while she finally removed the painful platforms to wear a pair of comfortable, fluffy slippers. Next she threw the blazer on a nearby black chair, intent on undressing from the sweaty outfit. Without even worrying it was inappropriate, she breathed in the phone seductively.

"You know, I'm undressing right now."

"Really?" He sounded absolutely interested. She pictured his canine ears springing to attention on the top of his head the way they'd done back in his car when she'd turned in her seat.

"Really. I'm getting to my bra right now," she explained as she fumbled with the clasp at her back.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice a few levels deeper.

"Yeah," she confirmed, speaking slowly and enticingly. "Actually, it's one of those tight bras so I really want to get out of it, but it's hard to unclasp it. I wish someone could do it for me right now."

"Uh-huh," was the only thing he could trust himself to utter, since his mind was too preoccupied with the visuals she provided him and the feel of his own hand pumping his engorged shaft.

"Oh, I got it. There, sooo much better," she commented, turning around and looking at her topless self in the large floor mirror and imagining the half demon's hands roaming her body from behind.

"Fuck, vixen. You're gonna break me apart," he confessed huskily as the pressure in his groin increased. He was going to cum a second time in the same night because of the same woman he hadn't even fucked. How pathetic was that?

Her giggle wasn't unexpected and the melodious sound it supplied increased his excitement, making him climax right on the spot.

"Shit," he groaned, lost in his bliss, ignorant to her pride in having successfully made him cum twice without a lot of effort.

Her smugness was cut short, however, when her front door opened to the wall, making her dive for cover.

"What was that?" Inuyasha asked, having heard the noise. Desperate crying emerged next.

Kagome realized she was crouching behind her sofa, quite topless and quite confused about why Sango was crying her eyes out and wobbling on her legs. Well, the wobbling part was quite obvious, but the crying was a mystery.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, picking up the blazer from the chair and putting it on in lack of something else. "I got to go. My best friend came by and she's thrashed."

"Oh," Inuyasha said. "Right. Then go ahead and take care of her."

"I will," she said sweetly. "Good night."

"The same," he answered before hanging up.

The moment Kagome set the phone on the sofa Sango broke down in angry sobs.

"He fucking fucked me!" she yelled. "And I fucking let him!"

Kagome's eyes widened, knowing Sango had been a virgin prior to this night. And to lose her virginity while wasted wasn't a nice thing.

"On the dance floor!" the dizzy woman added and Kagome nearly tripped on her feet from the shock.

"On the w-what?"

Frowning, she realized Sango had curled on the floor, crying and crying, unable to respond. Releasing a sigh, Kagome went to the girl to soothe her frail nerves, removing her sticky bangs from her eyes and patting her back comfortingly. The only time she left her alone was when she went to get a glass of water and bring it to her.

Twenty minutes or so passed until Sango finally quieted. There were the occasional sobs, but Kagome was glad the worst had passed. Actually, no, she realized; the worst would come in the morning, when the hangover would strike and the realization of what had happened would settle. That would be the worst. Maybe if Sango would show no signs of remembering, Kagome could hide it from her. She shook her head; no, Sango deserved better. Thoughts about protection entered her mind, but she wasn't going to discuss it with her friend in order to avoid worrying her – better to just wait and see what happened.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked cautiously.

"No," Sango answered curtly, her tone hostile, before relenting and sighing deeply. "I'm fucking dizzy."

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know," the woman answered honestly. She only remembered bits and pieces after the fit she'd thrown at the club. The worst part? She'd been kicked out for being hysterical and making a scene.

"Okay. Let me get you to the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."

Sango didn't say anything; she just let herself dragged.

•.••.•o

Inuyasha was completely mystified. That woman… she was gold in its purest form. He had to have her, he decided, as his inner demon was screaming at him and scraping around from the inside, struggling to come out and teach that bitch a lesson about who was dominant. He could feel his vision flash red a couple times, a sign that had never proved positive. He didn't have time to ponder on the meaning of his demonic self claiming power, however, because he heard loud knocking on his front door. Puzzled, he went to open it, recognizing Miroku's scent long before he saw him.

The man looked as smashed as could be and red all over.

"What happened, man? Banged those chicks on the dance floor?" he taunted.

"Nah," Miroku answered, inviting himself in and making himself comfortable on a cozy couch. "Just one of them."

Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow. "You're being serious?"

"Yeah, man. But she went ballistic on me afterwards. Like I'd… like, forced her or something. Crazy bitch." He closed his eyes as if to remember. "But ya know, the other chick wasn't so bad. I did her in the parking lot just before coming here. She was the one who dropped me off. Some blonde, I'm telling ya."

"Wait, you really are serious?" Inuyasha asked again for confirmation, looking for signs of lies.

"Yeah, man. Didn't ya listen?"

"Christ," Inuyasha muttered, impressed. Well, the guy had guts, he'd give him that.

"Got thrown out, the bitch; I'm telling ya," the lecher muttered just before dozing off.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Morning came quicker than expected and Sango felt it in her bones. A few curses flew from her daring mouth as the bright light invaded the room and pierced her brain with an imaginary sharp blade. Why the hell did Kagome have to forgo blinds? She scrunched her nose when she realized she'd drooled on the pillow; how disgusting. And what was even more disgusting was the lingering reek of alcohol that made her want to throw up. Rushing to the toilet she did just that, feeling her stomach already a bit more settled.

Naturally, the memory of the previous night came crashing into her mind, making her clench her fists and grit her teeth in sheer frustration. She'd lost her prized virginity to a repulsive _drunk_ that had fucked her right on the dance floor, and she'd enjoyed it, too. What the hell was wrong with her? When had her principles vanished?

But no matter, she told herself as she rinsed her mouth. She'd go on as if nothing had happened. Yeah, that's what she'd do.

Yeah.

But _damn!_

She didn't want Kagome to ever bring it up. She didn't want anyone finding out. She knew that Kagome's image had to be clean, seeing as she was currently in a juridical battle with an organic farm that was also one of the largest organic food producers, called BioFoodz, which meant everyone close to her should manifest decent behavior. Sango was her best friend, so she was supposed to stay out of scandals in order to avoid gossip. Though the lawsuit had nothing to do with her, Sango didn't want Kagome to look bad because of her. What would it sound like? 'Higurashi Kagome's best friend has intercourse in clubs and manifests violent behavior in public. With such acquaintances, is Higurashi herself to be trusted, after all?'

Damn BioFoodz, who had sued Kagome for discrediting them in front of their buyers. In reality, Kagome had merely informed the buyers about the farm's failure to make public that their products weren't 100% organic. She'd even found some peculiarities about the methods they used in producing their goods.

"Kagome?" she called out, testing if her friend was already awake.

"Come down, Sango. I'm making coffee."

"Great."

As soon as she spotted her, Sango felt the slight, slight envy crawl up her arms, but pushed it away. She'd always felt inferior to Kagome. The nutritionist had everything she wanted: a great job, a reputation, this amazing home, a dream family. She was never alone; she always had a hunk crawling at her feet, like the one from the previous night, whereas _she_ had to work hard for it. _Sango_ had to push her way through the crowds, struggling to become an appreciated lawyer. How was that fair?

"How do you feel?" Kagome asked gently, unsure of how to broach the subject of what had happened the night before.

"Shitty, but better since I slept on a comfortable bed. Thanks for that."

"Hey, don't mention it."

A few seconds of silence stretched between them until Sango decided to be blunt.

"You know, I don't want to talk about it. It's best if I forget it, all right? Please don't ask me anything." She could tell Kagome wanted to. The woman nodded in agreement, silently promising her she won't say a word.

"How about you?" Sango asked with a forced grin. "How was that gorgeous beast from last night?"

"Married," Kagome answered briskly and Sango's smile dropped. That was… awkward. Kagome coughed subtly and they both decided to change any subject regarding love and men.

"So… how are things going with BioFoodz?" Sango asked casually, stirring the coffee with a stylish teaspoon. Even the spoon was perfect.

"Well… I don't really know. Initially I went about things calmly, just informing the public about the farm, but then these guys turned really aggressive. I heard there's this guy, their spokesman, head of PR, who is really intent on ending me."

"Oh, do you mean that Takahashi hunk?" Sango asked, quite intrigued. She'd seen him on television; a handsome beast he was, but essentially cruel.

Kagome sighed and stood up to slice a lemon and bring it to the table. The fresh, citric smell made her smile and her mouth water.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I guess I haven't paid much attention to what goes on in the media. Haven't had the time," she lied, but Sango immediately caught on.

"Oh, knowing you, you probably turned off the TV the moment you saw the news and threw every single newspaper about it before reading," she teased.

"Got me," Kagome smiled, biting into a lemon pulp.

"Eww, I don't know how you can eat that thing. It's so sour!" Sango complained, scrunching her nose and pursing her lips. Even the sight of it made her shudder.

"It's delicious," Kagome said, taking a sip of her green tea, "and healthy."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Spare me right now. The last thing on my mind is my health," Sango grouched, drinking the rest of the coffee in one big gulp.

Kagome threw her an apologetic look before finishing her tea and lemons. She then stood up and stretched like a sensual cat, the nightshirt trailing up to show a perfect abdomen.

"You don't mind if I go do my yoga routine, do you?" Kagome asked, a smile on her face as she looked for her yoga mat.

"Do I ever?" Sango asked sarcastically, wondering why Kagome always had to ask.

•.••.•o

Inuyasha breathed regularly through his nose. His mind was filled with nothing else but the sound of nature as he ran along the edge of a currently empty road. It was the simplicity of such mornings that he always looked forward to, because it filled him with positive energy, pumping blood into his veins and making him think clearly. Right now, he couldn't care less about his war with that lying, most likely ugly ass bitch, Higurashi, nor was he interested in how bad of a hangover his friend had. Right now it was the perfect time to simply run and forget everything. His could feel his muscles stretching, working, his heart beating faster and faster, though still keeping him calm. The perfect combination.

The houses he passed by, they were silent and demure-looking. It was to be expected, he mused; after all, it _was_ six thirty in the morning and quite chilly, too, but his hanyou nature allowed him to run freely and sweat like a pig without fear of catching a cold.

His mind brought him back to the vixen from the night before. Only after a second shower had his desire finally been quenched; that was how much she'd unknowingly affected him. It had been a long time since he'd allowed someone to get so deeply under his skin, even if it was only from a sexual point of view. He'd always resorted to just fucking and turning his back on the chicks that fulfilled his needs. Quite nasty of him, he knew. But this girl? She spiked his interest. She made him think of dirty things. Maybe it was because he hadn't fucked her yet. Yeah.

Maybe what he had to do was to get into her pants and then the ache would go away.

Today he'd have to deal with his bastard of a brother, Sesshomaru, and explain why he hadn't been able to sink that Higurashi chick yet. There was no way the thickheaded bastard would understand that the bitch had quite the reputation and therefore people trusted her words.

Inuyasha could hardly comprehend how a person – a nutritionist no less – could say such lies about a huge _organic_ farm. It was inconceivable. As far as his knowledge went, they were the biggest seller of eco eggs on the market and they even produced various cereals through reliable methods that didn't pollute and kept the goods as healthy as possible. True, they were involved in many areas of production and that might make a lot of people suspicious, but they had always handled it with the best of care. Now to have a _bitch_ come and tell the media that they were a bunch of liars who stamped fake labels on their products made him want to break something.

A neck or two, maybe.

But for now he'd have to face Sesshomaru's ire and his endless lectures about how he wasn't fit to be their spokesman, how he was stupid for taking pity on a _half breed_, as he liked to call him, and how he should have his ass fired.

The usual.

Another half an hour went by until he finally decided he was ready to go back home and take a shower. He felt invigorated already. And starving. He couldn't wait to boil one of those healthy and tasty eggs they produced. Higurashi could just go to hell – there was nothing wrong with his eggs.

Yeah.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Kagome exhaled and stepped back into plank position, keeping it and inhaling deeply, letting her muscles relax. The routine went smoothly with nothing on her mind other than the sounds of a few birds still chirping outside her window. After finishing, she repeated the last sequence on her other leg, enjoying the recreation these exercises brought her. She'd always loved yoga, but now she didn't have that much time to attend classes with a yogi that could teach her so much, not only about yoga poses, but also about life in general.

After her routine was over, she took a quick shower and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She joined Sango at the table, exactly where she'd left her.

"Honey, are you sure you're okay?" she said, placing her hand atop Sango's on the sheer surface.

"Yeah, I am. I have to go home and get dressed for work, but I don't feel like it."

Kagome knew Sango couldn't exactly call in sick, so she gave her an empathetic smile, cheering her to get going.

"Besides, I have to go to work, too," she reminded her.

"Oh, yeah," Sango mumbled and sighed before getting up and gathering her heels. "Can you call me a cab?"

"Sure," Kagome said, going to get her phone. Right after she gave the order, Sango left the loft barefoot, with her heels in her left hand and her jacket hung over a shoulder, looking the epitome of dejected. But even though this threatened to consume Kagome with her own sadness, she shook it off and prepared herself for another day. Today she was intent on doing a bit more research on a type of rye bread she had her suspicions about.

The phone interrupted her thoughts and she looked at the caller ID.

'sexy dog'

Breath hitched in her throat, Kagome answered breathlessly, "Morning."

"Morning," the now familiar, guttural voice answered. "Watcha doing?"

"Getting ready for work," she replied. "You?"

"The same."

"Oh," she mumbled, trying to find a particular skirt she liked. "What do you do for a living?" she found herself asking.

"I work in PR. How about you?"

"Research," she answered, adding in her mind, 'of some kind.'

"Oh, I would never have pictured you as a researcher," he commented, surprise evident in his tone.

"Well, life's full of surprises."

"Tell me about it." It was, all right. But he wanted to postpone his meeting with his brother as much as possible, so he certainly didn't want to end the conversation just yet. Fortunately, it seemed as if she'd read his mind.

"How did you sleep last night?" Kagome asked him suggestively, a lighthearted smirk taking over her lips. Even _she_ had had a wet dream; it was hard to believe his sleep hadn't been affected.

"Dreamed about you," he confirmed her suspicions in a deep voice that send a wave of desire through her body.

"Mm, same here."

He chuckled lightly and she was filled with the same desire to hear more, just as before. "Glad to hear that," he said. "It's good to know I'm not the only one to want more."

"Cool down, dogboy," she taunted, "we have to go to work, don't we? I don't know about you, but I can't show up all hot and bothered."

"If you want, I can drop by for a quickie," he suggested mirthfully.

"Some other time," she said, ready to continue his game.

"Oh, that's mean."

"It is," she admitted, "but get used to it, cause I am like that, baby." Kagome had no way of knowing the effect her words had on him.

"Fair enough."

"Look, I really got to go, or else I'll be late, and I can't be late," she apologized, having dressed up in the meantime. She was just applying some nude lipstick when she heard him grunt into the receiver.

"All right, then. Good luck at work."

"Thanks," she purred. "Bye."

"See you," he said, and little did she know that he meant it quite literally.

•.••.•o

It was torture until it was finally night time. He drove to her place and was surprised to find an old warehouse. It was undoubtedly a loft and he smirked at the realization. He waited there until he saw her return home after a day at work. He'd known she wasn't home because her unique scent hadn't been around, but now there she was. Right in front of him, a feast for his eyes. Feminine, sexy, and utterly fuckable. He could feel his slacks tighten and every thought about his asshole of a brother or the whole fiasco with that Higurashi chick flew out the window. He waited until she was inside and contemplated taking off his tie and leaving it in the car, seeing as it suffocated him half to death, but he simply loosened it a bit, figuring he'd better let Kagome do the honors.

Determined, Inuyasha stepped inside the building and found himself in front of her door. It was wooden and appeared so large that he felt the need to swallow, but his throat was parched. Just before knocking he realized she had a door bell, so he rang two times.

As ready as Inuyasha was to face her, nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was greeted by. In front of him there was a half naked Kagome, her hair tousled, no doubt from having discarded her shirt, with a scant, barely-there bra, a flat abdomen teasing him subtly and a thin pair of thongs that allowed her long, toned legs to stand out. A bottle of something was in her left hand together with a cotton pad, making him guess she had been removing her makeup, judging by her flushed face.

She looked every bit the sexy mess.

Her dark cocoa eyes covered everything: from surprise to lust. He was on the verge of losing it, so he opted for grabbing her wrist and throwing her to the wall adjacent to the door in order to distract himself. He molded his body to hers and meshed their mouths together passionately, swallowing her cry of surprise and savoring her taste for the first time. There was no time for proper breathing, no opportunity for sensible thoughts. Between two hungry mouths there was only the irresistible desire of knowing one another as intimately as possible. He couldn't think, not with her so close to him, not with her scent so profoundly embedded in his foggy mind. It almost tore him in down every time he inhaled deeply. The room was steamy and the walls contracted around them as he reached a shaky hand to close the door next to them, placing the other one on her hip to bring her body impossibly closer to his.

No words were exchanged, only heated looks that were enough to write novels in their stead. A mutual agreement passed between the two as Inuyasha thrust his tongue inside Kagome's mouth quite unpredictably, playing, pushing one against the other, feeling the fleshy muscle tease his senses in a way that made him think of incredibly unorthodox things. There was a goading fire that sneaked inside their brains, ending all normal functions.

He wanted to throw her to the floor and pound into her like some kind of animal.

Groaning at the visuals, he brought his free hand up to cup a breast, pushing the bra out of the way to feel the perfectly rough texture of her nipple. Kagome broke the kiss to release a shaky moan, unintentionally exposing the column of her throat to his hungry, canine gaze. The quality of her desire-filled voice had shivers traveling up his back, forming beads of tingling vibration that added to his libido. An enthralled look crossed his features as he swept her hair to the side gently, amazed by her apparent vulnerability, before he trailed his tongue up her neck, worshipping every little inch of her delicious skin. Her earlobe soon found its place inside the hanyou's hot mouth and Inuyasha nibbled gently, feeling shudders pass through her body as if they were crossing his own.

"The bed," he grunted, licking the outer shell of her ear in such a fashion that she felt her insides melt into a puddle. A nervous puddle, it seemed, as she instantly fumbled for a response.

"I'm – I should take a shower first-"

"No," he said gruffly, stopping her rave, unwilling to let her know just how much the natural scent of her slight sweat was turning him on. The proof that she was perfect for him in every aspect lay in the fact that he could live off her scent alone – it made his mouth water and his knees quiver pathetically.

He was as helpless as a puppy in front of her charms.

Kagome pointed up the stairs, so he picked her up with one arm under her knees and the other one supporting her back. This time it was she who threatened to undo him. The vixen worked his tie off and threw it somewhere on their way to the bed. Her blunt, human teeth started nipping at his neck relentlessly, showing just how talented she was. A bit of pain here, a sensual lick there, and Inuyasha felt as if he were made of jelly.

"Stop that or I might drop you," he warned, struggling to keep his focus on climbing the stairs.

Kagome gave his Adam's apple a long lick, smiling encouragingly. "I trust you not to," she said simply, but he faltered in his steps. She had no idea how rarely, if ever, he heard those words. His heart expanded in his ribcage and hammered erratically, mere millimeters close to imploding. Fueled by her confession, Inuyasha found the bed with precise steps, laying her on it gently and shedding his shirt and belt. Smiling in a wholly uncharacteristic way, he hovered over her, his chest almost touching hers. A swipe of his claws discarded her bra and he muffled her protests with his blazing mouth, finally letting their bare chests press one against the other. Kagome's skin was alight, her senses in overload. Words felt overmuch so she kept quiet, letting her caresses speak for her. She trailed nimble fingers down his chin, his chest, toying with his sensitive nipples and making him groan inside her mouth. Her vision foggy, she watched Inuyasha raise himself from over her and look at her intensely, his index finger brushing her lower lip. Returning his scalding gaze, she slipped the probing digit inside her mouth, licking it expertly in a manner similar to another erotic action she could be doing instead. She studied him as his amber eyes widened just a fraction and his lips parted to release a surplus of air.

"Now you're just asking for it," he rasped, squinting in order to maintain his sanity intact.

"I am, aren't I?"

At that reply he sat on his haunches, regarding her with what could be mistaken for cold passion, penetrating her with a criminal gaze. His intentions were unclean, condemnable, but delicious in themselves, so she had no qualms about letting him do whatever he wanted as long as it quelled the fire from under her skin. With superficial care he lifted her right leg and for a brief moment she was glad she was doing yoga regularly.

Smirking haughtily, he slipped two perfect toes inside his mouth, the scorching heat from the simple action trekking all the way down to her core. He held her gaze as he bit the side of her foot, licking it apologetically, teasing her senses. Kagome's limbs twitched in response, every nerve standing on edge as the drugging smell of his skin lingered around her and crawled inside her brain in long tendrils with the consistency of smoke, incessantly licking her skin like flames, triggering the pleasure centers in her brain. Everything, from the sounds, the touches, the pungent fragrances, his intransigency in allowing her to dominate, spiced the arousal, causing an unexpected arch of her body upwards. His eyes darkened as his lips brushed the inside of her knee.

He could feel her increasing anxiousness as he neared her hips. Deciding to take his time, he gripped the edge of her thongs and pulled them off her hips, her legs, throwing them haphazardly. By the sight of it, she'd waxed recently. The display of smooth skin and her exposed wetness nearly made him cum, but he reined his emotions diligently, forcing himself to wait. This time she would be the one enveloped in sweet gratification, as she'd done to him before. In a fluent motion he spread her knees apart completely, wondering at her flexibility, before diving between her legs with a hungry look that spoke volumes. His left hand trailed up her body to pinch her nipples hotly just as he took the first agonizingly slow lick from bottom to top, ending with prolonged attention to her clit. Kagome nearly came apart, trembling madly and breathing roughly, her heart inches away from being launched right out of her chest. He relished these tiny signs _he_ brought about in her, studying her strained expressions as his tongue worked her like no other. He licked her outer lips, teased the burning skin with puffs of air before going straight for the little nub of pleasure. She moaned loudly, moving her hips around to increase the friction, but he held her down with the hand that had been playing with her breast. Frustrated, Kagome struggled harder until hearing his deep growl that tickled her sensitive clit with low vibrations. Her rapture drove him so insane that he had to adjust his crotch which had become a bit too uncomfortable.

His skillful tongue soon brought her to a powerful climax and he waited for her to recover before taking one nipple at a time in his mouth and sucking lightly, lighting the fire in her core once again. His eyes rolled into his head when she rubbed him through the slacks, rendering him weak. He was eager to help her in getting rid of his last articles of clothing and shocked when she flipped them over, smirking naughtily. Making sure he followed her every movement, Kagome trailed downward towards the hardness that begged for attention. Deciding to comply, she took him in her hand, pumping a few times before licking the head that was coated with precum.

"Mother of-" he cursed, throwing his head back and feeling the distinctive presence of his demonic side clawing to reach the surface. A flash of red cloaked his irises, causing Kagome's brows to furrow for a second before she trailed her tongue on the inner side of his shaft. There was a battle of wills, Inuyasha felt, as he struggled to enjoy the attention a bit more, even as the demon inside him begged to be the dominant one. Unable to resist the beast any longer, he issued a deep growl as he grabbed Kagome's shoulders, pressing her into the mattress and settling between her open legs, rubbing his hardness along her folds. He groaned loudly with closed eyes at the sheer pleasure it brought. The thought of being inside her, of tearing her from the inside out made him tremble. He wanted to make her crumble like ancient mountains to the ocean.

The hanyou was the one to initiate their joining as he guided his head inside her opening, pushing in excruciatingly slowly. There wasn't a time when Inuyasha didn't revel in the beauty of sex, but the radiance of the goddess underneath him made him realize it really was art. The gentle line of her body and the harsh light spreading around them that messed with his brain fooled him into thinking she was made of liquid pleasure.

His orbs shined almost wetly with desire; you could say he was melting on the inside out, ready to explode in a river of waxy satisfaction. Lustrous curves provided overpowering visuals that toyed with his male perception of stimuli, making him strive for gratification. It was on rare occasions that he allowed himself to get lost in his senses, that he allowed them to subdue reason and guide his every move, from the gyrating of his hips down to his tongue mimicking the action inside Kagome's mouth. Their lips separated momentarily, a thin line of saliva suspended between half-open mouths at a particularly hard thrust, before he pinned her head to the pillow once again to steal her breath with his smoldering kiss. The twosome moved with synchronized movements that mimicked perfection, fusing their bodies and breathing the same air.

It wasn't doing it for him. The pressure soon became too much and Inuyasha grunted against her ear in plain urgency before turning her around, making her stand on her hands and knees. She took the hint and grabbed a large pillow to cushion her chest as he thrust inside her powerfully from behind. While she'd previously loathed this position, she was really starting to get into it now.

The ravenous half demon pressed his chest against her back when the previous angle of penetration didn't satisfy him and reached between her legs to flick the nub, tormenting her nerves with wild precision. She could feel his powerful thighs slapping against her buttocks, muscles rippling with the twosome's strain to reach completion.

"You like it, don't you?" he groaned in her ear, feeling the increased wetness coat his finger. Slyly, he removed his hand and brought it to his mouth, tasting her essence and enjoying her subtle moan. "You like it when I fuck you from behind, don't you, bitch?"

Her only answer was a tiny whimper as he pushed into her hard, her breasts occasionally rubbing against the pillow. He sat up, wanting to see the expanse of her back and the way her sweaty hair clung to her nape like a second skin. Kagome's spine arched at particularly intense thrusts, the muscles on her back tightening then stretching, making her look like a sinful feline. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled slightly, making sure that the pain he'd cause would be nothing but pleasurable. Her moan was the most rousing song. The new angle hit a delicious spot inside her and her hands gave way under her, sending her head-first to the mattress, the pillow cushioning the fall. The unexpected, mind-numbing orgasm demolished her ability to move, but she still found the instinctive urge to scream in ecstasy. He would have chuckled in arrogant amusement had he not been close to his own climax. Balls tightening, Inuyasha shut his eyes tight, stilling her hips completely as he filled her to the brim, reveling in her tiny, involuntary squeezes around his shaft. The carelessness of the act didn't faze him; at the moment he was nothing but a quivering, sexually satisfied mess.

A few moments passed until he was able to form a coherent sentence and disentangle himself from her, letting her collapse over the pillow and lying on his back right next to her, his right hand resting casually on his chest as he stared at the ceiling.

"Wow," he breathed, blinking slowly to regain a proper vision. Kagome didn't respond, but he knew she couldn't. A thought that had previously made him curious entered his mind and he regarded her with questioning eyes, even though hers were closed. "Do you always open your door half naked?"

"I thought it was Sango," she mumbled into the pillow, but his hanyou hearing had no trouble picking it up. Even though he had no idea who Sango was, it was certainly a woman, so it made sense.

He nodded, his eyes still lingering on the sweaty beauty next to him.

"What was the deal with the red eyes?" she asked in a weak voice after a while, not even bothering to open her eyes, making his heart beat wildly.

"What red eyes?"

"Your eyes turned red at one time. Is that a hanyou thing?" she asked, now regarding him lethargically.

Wishing to distract her from the question, he answered with one of his own. "How do you know I'm hanyou and not full youkai?"

Her answer was evident as her eyes trailed upwards to the puppy ears, softening visibly. In that moment he felt an overwhelming sensation taking residence inside his stomach, as if it threatened to make him explode with warmth. He didn't like it, because it reminded of other times, a time when he'd allowed himself to become attached to someone.

'_Shit. What now?'_

He didn't know what to do with himself. He'd thought that having her once would quell his passion for her, his need to know her more, closer. But the night was still young and he could use it as an excuse to take her over and over until everything would be back to normal.

A devious smile settled over his lips as he realized he didn't even need handcuffs for what he had in mind next.

"Say, do you know where my tie is?"


	2. and then you hate them

**This affair is wearing me out.**

o•.•oo.o•.•

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money with this story.

_A/N: Thank you for all the support and so on. You guys are amazing :)_  
_Now on to the story. This one's from the heart._

•.••.•o

"I just think you're beautiful and… fuck. I didn't tell you this before. Why didn't I tell you this before?" There was a pause, but you could tell he was fumbling with something over the phone. "Guess I just didn't get the chance. Hey, I think… well, I was just standing here, watching a crappy movie about gorgeous, brainless models, and I thought this was the right time to say that. I thought… well, they're just beautiful and standing there and doing nothing, but still earning money for just being, while you're more beautiful than they could ever be, and you're so… you just blew my mind right away, ok? Damn. Look, I'm sorry for last night, ok? I just…' there was silence for a second and Kagome almost wished she didn't have an answering machine. As it was, his _voice_ through the receiver kept her transfixed. "I don't' know what came over me. Shit, Kagome, if you're there don't let me talk like an idiot. Are you there?" Another pregnant pause. "I guess not. Fuck. I don't normally do this."

"_Do you normally do this?" he asked through the silence, even though she'd already told him different._

"_No, I don't," she answered calmly, her voice being able to soothe even the last nerve inside his body._

_It scared him. It drove him insane with panic and he hated the feeling of confusion that enveloped him like a forlorn lover. Love was supposed to alarm, to terrorize, to cause dread to creep up on you without warning, to instill bone-chilling anxiety and make you tremble. Inuyasha knew that, he'd been there. He'd lived through all that and he wanted to feel it again, but didn't, at the same time._

_This wasn't love, it was silly to even think it was – not so early, not so sudden – but it could become that. Sooner than not it could and _would_ become that if he let things unfold and happen naturally, if he just opened himself to Kagome and allowed her to be herself around him, as well. He didn't know if he wanted it just yet. Love meant to be afraid. He didn't want to be afraid, and yet here he was, lying naked on the bed with an amazing woman cuddled against him, wondering if the trepidation that shook his very core was indeed fear or something else entirely. He didn't want to be feeling this way and he was wary of what the future held, knowing that this could only make him susceptible to mental strain. The unexpected ease that crept up on him every time he even thought about Kagome was more than unsettling and he wasn't willing to fish for a deeper reason for it._

"_You don't even know my name," he accused, his fist unconsciously clenching in her hair, pulling just slightly, just so she could feel the subtle pain, completely overlooking that it had been he who wouldn't give it to her. All that spilled out of him now, it was just everything that he couldn't rein in._

_Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at him from under his arm before forcing a fake, tight smile. She didn't like jumping to conclusions so she'd give him the benefit of the doubt before deciding he was a total jerk._

"_I don't think I understand. Are you… accusing me now?"_

_Inuyasha scoffed. "No, I'm not _accusing_ you. I'm pointing out the fact that you'd just fuck some guy you don't know the name of." Why did he care? It was so simple that he almost shuddered at the implications that thought brought. Everything inside him screamed, __**'**_What if it had been someone else?' _But even as hotheaded as he was, he knew he couldn't dare voice that aloud._

_Incensed, the young woman lifted her upper body to rest on her elbows as she twisted around to look him in the face squarely. "What is the matter with you?"_

_He narrowed his eyes and looked away, snorting impertinently. Then he met her gaze with intent austerity before delivering the sharp knife that cut her breath with Swiss precision._

"_It's normal for guys to do this kind of thing, but for women? What kind of woman are you?"_

_What kind of woman was she?_

"_Inuyasha, you're being a jerk," she whispered harshly._

"_No, seriously," he insisted, suddenly looking extremely riled for whatever reason. "What _kind_ of woman are you?"_

_What kind of life did she lead? What kind of woman _was_ she?_

_The questions that had bugged her for a long time. The questions that hid much deeper matters that made her crumble. She remembered the nights she'd lay awake and just ponder on everything. Just add up all the things that had ever happened to her and draw a line to gauge the result. At the end of the day, there was nothing specific she had built. Nothing she could call a merit._

_Maybe that was why all her relationships had been either plain or shallow. Maybe that was why she hadn't been able to save her family._

_And shit, why the hell did she go to that club, anyway? It didn't make sense. She'd always wanted to give a purpose to her life, to not live for just nothing, but it seemed she was on a secure path of failing. Why the 'no relationships'? Why the hesitance, the triviality?_

_She'd put an end to all of it._

_Inuyasha was right, but it fucking hurt to hear. It hurt to the point of preventing much needed air from reaching her lungs so she had to get him out of there fast before she broke down in sobs, undoubtedly scarring and scaring him away for good. Without words, she turned around to search for her discarded clothes and in no time at all – what felt like a second to her, anyway – she was decent and kicking him out, barely allowing him to take the time to get dressed, himself._

"_Kagome, look," he'd tried to appease, but she was having none of it. Not when her tears were threatening to fall and it was all she could do to keep herself from collapsing. Not when she knew he was right and she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. So she just tightened her fists at her sides while looking at the floor, listening to the sound of him pushing his belt through the loops and fastening it._

"_Kagome," he tried, but she just pushed him through the doorway looking anywhere but at him before slamming the door in his face and sliding down against it, letting her cries loose._

_Inuyasha wasn't stupid; he'd smelt her tears before he heard her sobs and he could do nothing but stare at the vertical, flat wooden surface, Kagome was against it and Kagome was crying. And it was all because of him. He felt the urge to punch the wall or the door, but he knew it would only shock or upset her, and he didn't want that. Instead, he snarled and kicked the air heatedly, al the anger directed at himself this time._

_He'd screwed up big time._

_He didn't know what had come over him, but he'd screwed up big time, and how did one ever apologize for practically calling the object of his possible intended affection a whore, anyway?_

_Not knowing what to do with himself and reluctant to leave her like that, he stayed, He sat on the floor just outside her door, listening to her now quiet sobs, smelling her troubled, but still heavenly scent and repelling every line of thought that bloomed._

She pursed her lips with disinclined ease and closed her eyes tightly, trying to release the tension that had overwhelmed her body. It wasn't working. She kept telling herself it would work, that if she concentrated on his breath that came through the receiver in shallow puffs she would calm down, but it made her more nervous if anything. Kagome couldn't remember a time in her adult life that she'd felt more like a teenager than now. It was almost eerie how this man, a man could make her so vulnerable.

She didn't even know him. She barely knew anything about him – heck, a name would have been fine, but she didn't even have that – and still… just hearing his voice placed strategic tingles all over her skin. For seconds on end she wished she could just peel off all layers of epidermis that bothered her immensely.

"Kagome, if you're there, please pick up."

She knew she should, but she didn't. Maybe it was curiosity; maybe it was… maybe she wanted to hear him talk. Maybe she was confused, too. No, she was definitely confused.

"Ok, here goes nothing," he said in a very low, very tight voice that indicated he was giving himself a boost of confidence and courage, and she smiled despite herself. He could be cute, too.

"So look. I've been thinking. We don't have to do it like this. I mean, I know I can be an A-class asshole and I know I say some pretty fucked-up shit," he chuckled as if to lighten the mood, "but damn. I don't know. Last night… it meant something. It was there. Something was there and I can't even explain it. Don't know if you felt it, too, but I felt it. Then I just had to blow it with my big fucking mouth, didn't I? Sorry about that, Kagome."

She almost smiled, but the bluntness of his words and the truth they had held brought her back to the planet she currently resided, making her collide with the surface harshly and rattling every bone inside her.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive me just yet. I know this stuff takes time, and fuck, we're not even friends, are we? I'm not a very patient guy, Kagome, so I don't know what to say. Jesus, I'm rambling right now, aren't I? You won't be able to make sense of what I'm saying, will you? Fuck. Look, if I knew you were home, I'd just come and see you. I'd just up and knock on your door, but I don't know if you'd be ok with that. Damn, this would be so much easier if I could see your face when you hear this…"

Swallowing anything that had held her back so far, she stood up from the couch and picked up the phone, answering with a simple, "I'm here."

o•.•oo.o•.•

He'd known it. Somehow, he'd been sure that she was home and she'd been there through the whole thing. She'd heard every single word. Resisting the urge to cringe at the whole speech he'd just given her, Inuyasha waited for her to say anything more, but she didn't. The reality of the fact that she was waiting for _him_ to say something prodded him to do just that.

"I knew you were," he said, but it sounded stupid and he wanted to beat himself with a sharp stick for being so lame. Lame, lame, lame, lame –

"You kept saying that," she pointed out in a short breath and he felt comforted by the fact that he wasn't the only one who was nervous.

So they'd fucked. They'd had mind-blowing sex and they'd cuddled in the afterglow – nothing particularly exceptional about that, except that it somehow had been exceptional – and then he'd just snapped at her. It may have been his inexperience and – if he were honest with himself – utter clumsiness with this sort of things or it may have had something to do with the fact that he was suddenly scared of the proportions of what had happened. What had happened was admittedly not just _some sex_ – it had been more. It had been almost as much as he'd once shared with Kikyou, and that was saying a lot, because it could only mean that he was in for it. He was _this_ close to having it bad.

"Well, I was just nervous, ok?" he admitted, knowing that women appreciated when guys admitted stuff that would normally bruise their egos. This once he'd allow himself this indignity.

What he said next was such a tiny whisper that she had trouble understanding.

"Can I come over?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment before saying yes. Yes, he could come. Yes, she was sure. No, she wasn't busy just then; he could come over anytime he wanted. And no, she didn't mind if they ended the conversation right then. Really, it was just as uncomfortable for her as it was for him.

Half an hour later he was in front of her door, a small but lovely-smelling bouquet of daffodils greeting her along with his dejected look that resembled a puppy strikingly.

"Come in," she said, accepting the token of apology and wishes for new beginnings silently and stepping aside so he could enter. A heavy weight was lifted off his chest when he realized she was going to forgive him as she looked for a vase she could put the flowers in.

"Make yourself comfortable," she suggested after filling a large bowl with water – for lack of something else – and placing the flowers inside. "I need to go to the bathroom for a bit and I'll be right back."

"All right," he said. His teeth kept nibbling on his lower lips on their own accord until she came out of the bathroom looking quite refreshed and every bit the natural beauty she was. A deep, rumbling emotion developed in the pit of his chest and he panicked at the feel of it. It threatened to overpower his senses and he didn't know whether what he was feeling was a sense of calm or of dread. Not knowing meant weakness, meant he couldn't deal with it, meant he'd most likely mess up again.

"So…" he started, looking her straight in the eyes.

"So…"

Realizing she wasn't going to make this easy for him, he sighed deeply. "I know I was a jerk and you didn't deserve the venom. I know I deserved being kicked out and I know _you_ didn't deserve the way I treated you. Kagome – I'm sorry. It's not who I am. It's just something that came out because… actually, I don't know why. It just slipped. I never meant it, I never even thought it over properly." His eyes held sincerity and for a moment she wondered if she should consider herself lucky for even getting an apology at all.

A small smile pulled at her lips and she touched Inuyasha's leg, letting him place his hand over hers.

"It's ok."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it is," she confirmed. "Just don't… just don't say things like that again. Not if you don't really mean them as you say you didn't."

"I won't," he promised and Kagome watched his hand twitch on top of hers. What she didn't know was the reason for it: he'd had the strangest impulse to just pounce on her and kiss her and have a repeat of the previous night, but he contained it. Knowing it would be completely inappropriate to even assume she would be willing to do it after the stunt he'd pulled, Inuyasha settled for looking at her awkwardly and thanking her for forgiving him. He didn't deserve it, but he'd be damned if he didn't take what he could.

"I'm glad I came. Things could have got awkward if you hadn't answered the phone, you know?"

"I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad you did, too."

They looked at the bowl with daffodils for a while, neither saying anything, but the warmth broadcast from one hand to another was enough proof of their connection.

Soon, the hanyou was struck by sheer surprise when a potent whiff of her arousal slapped him bluntly right across the face. Shell-shocked, he looked at her, noticing her guilty blush and the way she simply wouldn't look at him.

Biting his lower lip almost to the point of bleeding, Inuyasha looked away and subtly retracted his hand to place it behind his back where it was safe from grabbing the embarrassed woman and doing unimaginable things with her. He was overcome by the strong urge to possess her, to claim her and bury her inside his very bones, to… _mate_ with her.

His gaze reddened for a moment before it clouded over, forcing him to shake his head in order to clear the fog.

"Hey," she said, winning his attention, now looking at him directly.

"What?"

"The thing with the red eyes. You did that again," she stated gravely.

'_Shit. Shit shit shit. It can't be.'_

He panicked, looking from side to side, trying to decide whether to be bluntly honest or wisely silent.

"I... It's… I don't…"

But he did know. If his hunches were true, then he was in a world of trouble, but he did know. She was meant to be his mate. It made sense, anyway. It all came down to her amazing scent, to the strong pull he felt towards her, to the unearthly sexual satisfaction she gave him and the ridiculous puppy she'd reduced him to. The reason why he lost his composure around her but still couldn't get enough of her was that she was meant to be _there_ for him.

Blinking through reddish hues without really paying attention, Inuyasha shook his head slightly. It was too much to take in. Too soon. It was entirely too soon for him to be having a mate, but he couldn't deny the low rumble of appreciation that ensued in the bottom of his chest every time he looked at her.

She belonged with him.

"You're doing it again! Inuyasha, what is going on?" Kagome asked in exasperation, unable to wait for an explanation any longer. It was obvious she was fretting over the issue and he decided to spare her the trouble of having to coax him into telling her the truth. There were the walls and then there was this big elephant between them that he couldn't ignore any longer.

He sighed. "My eyes turning red is a symptom that my youkai blood is taking over, trying to get through to the surface and claim my body. This normally happens when my life is in danger, but it can also happen to inform me that I've… found my mate."

"Mate? Wow. So why were you doing it just now?"

"Dammit, how can I explain this? I've barely realized it's a solid probability, so… Kagome, I'm very attracted to you. And I think that on a subconscious level, my body along with my youkai instinct are trying to tell me that _you're_ the one. I… don't know what I'm supposed to do with this information or how you'll take it, but there it is." He took a deep breath, preparing to say what he imagined would completely scare her, "I think you might be my mate."

Her eyes widened comically as her lips parted, but she didn't say a word. Silence lingered for a long time, stretching for what seemed like minutes, with Inuyasha conspicuously trying to decipher her impassiveness and Kagome staring deeply into his eyes, meaning to make sense of what he was saying.

"What exactly does it entail?" she asked after a while, cocking her head to the side just slightly.

"Oh," he said, blinking stupidly at the realization that she didn't know what mates were. "Right. Well, I don't know the whole deal about mates, cause I never stood long enough to listen to it completely, but what I do know is that every demon is designated a person to complete them, a _mate._ You don't always find your mate, but when you do, you'll know it for sure, because being with your mate is something that can never be replaced. Amazing connection, remarkably strong and what may come across as rushed feelings, and _mind-numbing_ sex," he said with a conceited smirk, making her acutely aware of the fact that he was right within reach. If she leaned toward him just a bit…

Shaking her head as if to clear such impure thoughts, Kagome coughed deliberately. "And what if you do meet your mate, but you don't get together with them?" Kagome asked curiously, making him swallow. In case she truly _was_ his mate, she wasn't considering that, was she?

"I don't know. I don't think anything happens. If you haven't had a taste of them, then you won't know what you'd be missing," the hanyou replied truthfully, shrugging while grasping a pillow from the couch.

"A taste?"

"Yeah. You know," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively with a toothy grin.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah," she said awkwardly, realizing what he meant. So it was too late for that. "Then how do we know for sure?"

He could only gape at her. She was taking everything so lightly, as if there wasn't anything weird about it. He would still have to clarify a few more things.

"Kagome, when a demon mates it's serious business. We mate for life. As in, you can't break up after the bonding."

Her eyes became as grave as his.

"Ok."

"I hope you get it,"

"Yeah."

"You still didn't tell me how we'll know for sure."

This time around he blushed and that made her extremely curious. Whatever could make him blush like that was worth knowing, she decided, ignoring another bout of red inside his orbs.

"It takes being intimate again for that to happen," he confessed in a small voice, but gaining courage as he spoke. "I'll have to see if my youkai blood will try to take over and claim you, and I'll also have to make sure my instincts don't deny you, cause sometimes my youkai blood is a little bit of a wacko, given that I'm only half demon and thus bound to lose control if my demonic side takes charge, so I can easily misread its intentions."

"Right," she said, her nose cutely rosy from the embarrassment of having to discuss such intimate things with him.

"Although I think I felt it trying to crawl to the surface the first time, but I can't be sure."

Kagome's heart was suddenly pounding loudly in his ears, her blood pumping through her veins. The significance of the situation was just beginning to dawn on her and she wasn't sure she appreciated the feelings that took hold of her.

Inuyasha's eyes were liquid glass. His skin looked sweaty covered with a sleek, thin layer and his restraint was considerably frail, but he stalled. The mindless beast inside of him threatened Kagome's safety, though the woman was oblivious to its depraved intentions. The monster within watched and savored her every move ad infinitum, waiting for the right moment to _pounce_. Inuyasha was aware of it to a certain extent, but what absolutely alarmed him was that he had half a mind to _invite _it_ out._

_Son of a –_

Licking his lips quite noticeably, he observed how Kagome's eyes followed the flowing motion of his tongue until it returned to its hot cavity. The increasingly nervous woman – or was she merely horny? – gave off a scent so unbelievably potent that it made his head spin and his knees tremble just slightly. Why the fuck were his knees _trembling?_ Wasn't he supposed to be the ever unwavering half demon? A dry feeling settled in the hanyou's throat quite abruptly and he moved to massage it for a bit, deluding himself into thinking it would make it better.

It didn't.

What he eventually construed as pure _need_ only increased in intensity, settling in every cell of his body, taking over his sane thoughts. His… cognitive ability. Under Kagome's admiring scrutiny Inuyasha felt vulnerable in a way he had never experienced before and it made something inside him snap so as to reestablish dominance.

_Where was he again?_

Oh. Yeah. _Mate._ Well, he'd have to check if Kagome truly was his mate, wouldn't he? With that thought in mind, Inuyasha acted. Kagome didn't need to wait for him to advance towards her to identify his intent; guessing his thoughts wasn't rocket science since the burning desire the twosome shared was visibly etched on his face. There was no façade as his eyes held the same age-old passion that many others before him had been conquered by.

She gulped.

•.••.•o

Miroku rubbed his face in lethargy.

Oh yeah, hangovers were quite the bitches_._

Groaning in self-pity – oh, he was always so misunderstood, so lonely, so… (etcetera, etcetera) – Miroku got his ass off the couch to retrieve the knocked down remote control – could you blame him for not being very stable while drunk? – and see what was on TV. He hated the box with moving pictures – as Inuyasha often called it in the spirit of good humor – but he had to give it to it: sometimes it showed some pretty marvelous ladies.

Marvelous as the girl from the club.

He had to admit, if only to himself, that the tall beauty, even while drunk, had made quite an impact on him, despite the scene she'd caused. Or maybe it was exactly because of that, but either way – he liked her spunk. She was plucky and he liked his girls just like that.

Surfing through channels – boring, this, boring, that – his hand stilled just above the 'Next channel' button when he saw what was on.

'That's Inuyasha.'

Curious about why his best friend was on TV – he hadn't mentioned anything to him – Miroku listened through what seemed like a public declaration of sorts, noticing Inuyasha's oddly composed pose. On the outside he may seem collected, but Miroku could easily see through the shield his eyes had assumed. The hanyou was pissed.

'_Well, maybe I should listen to what he says, too.'_

Realizing he'd only analyzed the image without paying attention to the message so far, Miroku directed his focus on his friend's words.

"So if Miss Higurashi wants it to be war, it will be war."

Then, without a warning, he snubbed the media and turned his back quite rudely, if Miroku could say so, but there was no denying that his entire speech – or at least the part he'd listened to – had been deludingly polite and smooth and with no tangible resentment. Inuyasha was the perfect actor, Miroku settled as he leaned more into the couch.

'_Oh, this is going to be so good…'_

He should call Inuyasha, he decided next. To tell him about the speech – it was on every program, not to mention the news, over and over again. He reached towards the telephone, but shook his head.

_Nah._

Not that he'd _interrupt_ anything– it wasn't night time, after all – but he knew the hanyou wouldn't be interested in watching himself on the screen, so it was pointless to even tell him that they were airing his declaration.

o•.•oo.o•.•

He lifted his mouth from hers from two reasons: to allow her to catch her breath for an instant and to tell her what he'd been meaning to say all along.

"You're so fucking beautiful…" and special, he added in his mind. Kagome's eyes were glazed over as she regarded him unreservedly.

"Thank you," she said.

"I want to devour you."

It just came out. He pulled closer to her, moving his swollen lips to her sensitive ear and breathing out a puff of air teasingly. Inuyasha wasn't like this, but a certain demonic vibe inside him forced him to drop all reserves.

"I want to consume your soul. Does wanting such things make me a monster?"

"N-no," her voice cracked, showing both her apprehension and her need. The words he said to her were disturbing, but they entranced her. She needed to have him closer, but wanted him far away. She needed to feel him inside her, but knew she should kick him out. Everything was happening too fast and she wasn't even sure she'd be ready to accept the mates concept, not to mention the whole 'we will never sever' aspect. But she was surrounded by him here; his masculine scent was crowding her thoughts, which had dissolved to mindless chants of, _'Take me… Take me…'_ and his body was crushing hers in a grip so tight that she knew she might never want to break away. In a way it frightened her, in a way it felt natural.

Her lips parted as his eyes took on a more sinful shade of red than the dim ones she was accustomed to, and she could feel elongated claws pricking her sides.

Inuyasha breathed against her neck jaggedly, groaning as if in desperate pain.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She tried to look at him, but his grip was dead hard, keeping her head over his shoulder until his breathing pattern evened out.

"Are you okay?"

He allowed her to see him then, his features completely back to normal.

"It keeps happening," he explained, his entire face constricting into a look of pure agony. "And my youkai side keeps goading me. I don't know how long I can keep it locked away," he was forced to confess, knowing that Kagome had every right to know about this. She was as much involved as he was.

This time it was certain. The amount of pressure he'd felt, her scent surrounding every corner of his mind, even having the indecency to take over his deepest fantasies, the sweet taste of her lips had all nearly sent him over the edge. The beast had been so close to the surface – it still was – that he'd had to take a moment and cool down, conjuring up every calming thought he possessed. It wasn't a bolt from the blue that it had been one about Kagome.

Okay, so she was his mate and he couldn't think of anything else but having her again, and this time doing it _right._

Swallowing thickly at such compelling imagery, Inuyasha forced himself to move away from the confused woman, biting his lip from the strain his self-control imposed.

"Sorry," was all he said, but still she cut him off.

"No!" She looked at him with an unreadable expression. "No, don't apologize." Why was he apologizing? She couldn't be sure, but she'd somehow grasped the underlying meaning. She _was_ his mate after all. Was he saying sorry for that?

"There's no reason for you to apologize," she nodded sagely, piercing him with her big orbs. "Hey," she erupted all of a sudden. "Damn. Damn, I forgot. Grab the remote for me, will you? Is it eight o'clock already?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. Why, do you, like, watch a soap opera or something?" He smirked mockingly, realizing the change in subject was a breath of fresh air for his tense muscles.

"No. I really got to see this thing. It's this guy that's been trying to ruin my work."

"Oh, that should be interesting."

Inuyasha gave the remote to Kagome, who zapped through channels until she settled on one. Inuyasha's shock was almost as great as Kagome's. On the screen, the headline was crystal clear: 'Inuyasha Takahashi delivers hard blow'. They listened through his speech, listened to how he declared war to a 'Kagome Higurashi', how he tried to humiliate her on screen. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched her every reaction. Firstly, her shoulders went extremely rigid, then her jaw kept clenching and unclenching, and he almost felt sorry for the poor remote control.

Her voice was tight as she spoke.

"Are you Inuyasha Takahashi?"

"Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I am."

There was a long silence that made him wonder why she was so uptight. "Get out," she said, pointing at the door, "And take your daffodils. I refuse to receive something from you."

"Hey what the hell is your problem?" he said, standing up from the couch and grabbing his jacket angrily. Who the hell was this bitch to throw him out? Mate or no mate, she needed to learn better. "Just because some chick-"

With a murdering look in her eyes, Kagome extended her hand, saying, "Higurashi Kagome. Nice to meet you." She retracted it right away, gauging the shock on his face.

"What? Fuck," he swore, eyes wide and disbelieving. "Fuck! No way!" He grabbed his keys as he spoke.

"Yes, way. Now if you please, get the hell out of my apartment. I'm sure you don't want to spend time with – how did you put it? A lying, manipulative person? Oh, you sure know how to draw a crowd, Takahashi."

Narrowing his eyes menacingly, he finished putting on his shoes and walked over to her, leaning in until he was a mere few inches away from her face. His eyes seared hers, throwing blistering flames, but she glared back. Inside her deep orbs he recognized the icy coldness he'd been positive he'd find in that Higurashi woman.

Ignoring the tingling in his arms from being so close to her, ignoring her amazingly mouth-watering smell that toyed with his senses, he hissed, "Like I said, Higurashi. This is war."

The intensity of her glare leveled his. "Got that, Takahashi. Now get the hell out of here."

"I'm going," he said, slamming the door after him. As soon as he got out, an overpowering wave of frustration and regret flooded her, making it impossible for her to rein her emotions. Tears sprung to her eyes wildly as she sped from one corner of the loft to another, grabbing things and throwing them carelessly against the walls. The beautiful Chinese vase Sango had brought her as a gift from Shanghai met its end against the front door, shattering into tiny shards that glimmered in the bright light. Sobs shook her shoulders as incredulity jabbed her in the back repeatedly.

"Oh my God," she whispered, bringing a closed fist to her mouth as if to stifle stray whimpers. "Oh God, how didn't I see this coming?" She'd known… she'd known it was always better to keep things platonic. Getting too involved could only ever result in heartbreak. In her case, disaster.

Remembering not to lose herself, Kagome tried to soothe her nerves by breathing deeply, closing her eyes. She tried to evaluate everything that had happened up to that point, determined to make herself believe it was nothing particularly awful.

"So I slept with my enemy and I liked it," she enumerated aloud, "I found out he's my mate, he tried to totally ruin me and my carrier on national television… oh, and he's the biggest scum on the face of the Earth.' Letting out a huge breath, she realized she felt better. Her head was clearer now, and as she looked around, she couldn't believe the kind of mess she'd made.

Suddenly realizing she hadn't told him something, she picked up the phone and called him. Honestly, she wasn't surprised to hear him snap at her right after a couple seconds of ringing.

"What the hell do you want?"

She breathed deeply to restrain herself. "I just wanted to make something clear. We never had sex, you never came by, nothing ever happened between us."

"Erased," he agreed enthusiastically, "anything else?"

"Yes," she said, "You are a complete asshole, Takahashi Inuyasha."

"Yeah, well you're a bitch."

"Whatever. Have yourself a _pleasant_ evening, Takahashi," she wished him sardonically.

"Choke on your food, Higurashi," he replied before they both hung up at the same time.


	3. and then this feeling grows

**This affair is wearing me out.**

o•.•oo.o•.•

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money with this story.

_A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and the love, and here's a new chapter :) Hope you didn't see this coming._

•.••.•o

She had 300,000 followers on her website.

The line between being healthy and being slender was close to nonexistent now, and people realized Higurashi Kagome could really deliver. No sickness? Check. Perfect body? Check. No stress? Check. That's what her knowledge of proper nutrition and general guidelines for perfect health was for. It was what she was paid for, what she did best, but not what she enjoyed most.

What she liked above all was to bring down liars.

And BioFoodz was one._ Inuyasha Takahashi _was one.

The man was driving her crazy. His absence felt suffocating, as though he'd been there all her life, when in fact she'd only known him for a few weeks. Most of all it was disturbing, but she couldn't deny liking the feeling of _needing_ him. The first thing she did in the morning was check her phone for messages and the last thing she did at night was force herself not to call him.

She'd dreamed of him.

Her tanned skin felt hot now, even as cool water trickled down her back between her shoulder blades, and the shower felt more crowded than ever. The dream had not been light either, more like incredibly steamy. Breathing heavily, Kagome rested her forehead against the transparent door, biting her lip, eyes closed comfortably. The confrontation was in three days and despite her repeated self-assurances that she was okay, she wasn't. Even now her body tingled for him – how would she keep her mind cool when all she wanted was to try and work things out? Her deepest instinct demanded that she listened to his side of the story, but his words on national television kept replaying in her mind and she decided against it. He didn't deserve a third chance, he'd screwed up once and the way he spoke in public told her more about him than her personal experience with his brashness did.

_'Suck it up, Higurashi.'_

Taking a deep breath, the young woman rinsed her hair and finished the shower, mentally going through all the evidence she had against BioFoodz. It was legit and strong, and Inuyasha could lash out at her all he wanted, but it didn't change her findings. In this case she had the upper hand, while he only had the heat of his words. But there was a strong crowd supporting her – those 300,000 followers would stand up for her anytime.

Drying her hair with a towel, she looked in the mirror, seeing nothing but a tired woman. A sad soul. She knew herself better than anyone, but at times even she wondered at her own loneliness. In his arms she'd thought she'd get rid of that gap in her life. Now it was clear she'd been wrong, but the desire lingered.

_'He's an ass,' _she reminded herself. It was easy to forget that when her heart thumped like it did at the thought of his name, his voice.

_What kind of woman are you?_

She closed her eyes shut at the unbidden memory, shaking her head and dropping the towel to the floor, choosing not to get dressed. The benefits of her loft were countless, beginning with great privacy, allowing her to walk around naked whenever she wanted, and ending with the personality of the place, so similar to her: deserted, with a neat, eccentric exterior, but still worn at heart.

His words cut into her, reaching that most vulnerable core, and tears showed their ugly mugs, but she refused to shed any more because of him. She realized that ever since she'd known him, the masks she'd worn had come off. He'd brought the weakness she knew she had to the surface, and it scared her. She wanted to be Higurashi Kagome again, the fearless woman that everyone respected, with her reputation intact, not stained by the mean words of a frustrated man.

o•.•oo.o•.•

She wanted to believe he was just as confused as she was.

The sex had been amazing. She couldn't get it out of her head no matter how hard she tried, so she figured she had to live with it. With the memories, the passion. God, she wanted to hate him.

Shaking her head, she read on.

At noon she'd arrived at the library, borrowing just about any book she could find on demonic mating. What she'd read so far did not make her day brighter. Takahashi's explanations rang loud in her ears, matching the words she was reading.

It said that once you found your mate, the desire, the need would gnaw at you until you gave in. That feelings would build up and the pent-up need would overflow at one point, invariably driving the twosome together. It said that mates who'd met could never stay away from each other for too long. It said they'd start feeling vulnerable and stressed. The studies on separated mates revealed a drastic decline in immunity, the same type of results experiments showed in people past a certain age. The body would reflect the need for the other, manifesting it in ways that made living without one another uncomfortable, even agonizing, depending on the strength of the bond that had had the chance to form before the separation.

All of this, none of it eased Kagome's anxiety.

Huffing in annoyance, she closed the book and returned the whole pile, having had enough of this drama.

She'd be the exception. _They'd_ be the exception. She was not going to pine for a man that had tried to humiliate her and question her credibility in front of the entire country. She was not going to get sick because of him, she was not going to cry because of him, and she was definitely not going to lose her dignity because of Takahashi Inuyasha. As much as something inside her begged to let him in and try to make things right, she knew where her life was headed, knew she would keep exposing liars like BioFoodz till the end of days, and that was not ever going to change.

Nodding resolutely, she looked for her phone.

•.••.•o

"What?" Sighing, Sango rolled her eyes at her friend's stubbornness. "Kagome, the confrontation is in three days. Take a breather for once. You've dug up just about everything you could on these guys, why on Earth is that not enough?" After a few choice words from the angry woman on the line, Sango threw her hand in the air defensively, even though the gesture would not be seen. "Hey, waitwaitwait, sorry, okay? Right, calm down. Look, I know, he's a big dick who declared war against you on TV and tried to make you look like a lying shrew who's only in it for the money, but maybe you should just... I guess, take it easy, you know? I mean you struck them cold with that announcement you made, probably shook their finances like an earthquake, so it's natural that they strike back, you know? Basic survival instinct. BioFoodz is obviously a huge company ran by a bunch of – no, Kagome, let me finish. What I'm saying is, BioFoodz is this large business that is now unstable because of _you._ The people there, they are lying, manipulative, yes, I get that. Selfish, ill-intentioned, sure. But Kagome, this is not something bad, it's actually an advantage. The fact that they're all these things I mentioned will work to your advantage, cause you're gonna show the whole world the hyerbolic lies BioFoodz spouts on a daily basis, right?"

After a few seconds of complete silence on Kagome's part, which assured Sango of her small victory, her friend finally replied.

"Need to talk to me? Sure. What about? I don't think I like how you sound, Kagome."

When said woman hung up without an answer, Sango didn't know whether to be worried or ignore it as typical Kagome-ish behavior.

She just hoped it wasn't as delicate as Kagome had made it seem.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Kagome arrived at her favorite café just on time. Sango was due in a couple of minutes, she'd spoken to her over the phone on the way here. In the meantime, she ordered an ice cold lemonade for herself, sans sweeteners, and a tiramisu for her friend. Sango _always_ ordered a tiramisu when they went out, regardless of whether she ended up eating it or not.

Kagome thanked the waitress and picked up her lemonade just as Sango entered the small place and sat down in front of her friend, smiling gratefully for the cake.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Taking a big gulp of the deliciously sour liquid, Kagome exhaled deeply.

"You said you're familiar with demons and their rituals."

"Mmhmm," Sango mumbled around a bite of the scrumptious cake, nodding. She wondered if Kagome wanted any advice on how to deal with demons. The Takahashis were an old, demonic family, and Inuyasha, the younger of the two brothers, was a half-demon. Everyone knew that.

"So you know Inuyasha is a hanyou."

Again, Sango nodded, taking a new spoonful of the cake and bringing it to her mouth. This was getting closer and closer to her line of thought.

"Well, he and I are mates."

Choking loudly, Sango grabbed Kagome's lemonade and quickly spit it back out, her entire face drawn into a grimace at the sour taste.

Waving at the waitress with one hand, she wiped her mouth with the other, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Bring me a glass of water please."

"Will that be sparkling water or spring water?"

"Spring, please."

"Coming right up."

Turning her head to look at her friend again, Sango frowned.

"Jesus, girl, throw a warning when you say things like that." Biting her lip, she noted how Kagome's neck was covered by a turtleneck. Then again, Kagome wore turtlenecks quite often. "So he bit you?"

"Not yet," Kagome shook her head. "But we had sex on one occasion, and before you poke my eyes out I didn't know who he was at the time. It was a one night stand, and he didn't give me a name. I only gave him my first name." Sighing, Kagome recalled the exact circumstances of their meeting. "He was a major dick that night and I kicked him out. He apologized the next day and told me he thought we were mates. Then we... then we checked if that was true."

"How-how exactly did you check, Kagome?" Sango asked, thanking the waitress for the bottle of water before opening it and taking a swig.

"When he was near me his eyes turned red and his instincts demanded that he mate me. Can't get more obvious that that."

"What about you? Did you feel anything abnormal?"

"I just felt... it felt like nothing before. Like I had known him for so long... still feels that way."

Understanding flashed across Sango's eyes. The cake was long forgotten as the young woman finally realized Kagome's plight.

"Oh, Kagome... you're really suffering right now, aren't you?"

When she didn't answer, Sango knew. She'd learned about how mates needed each other's presence for general physical comfort. It wasn't just something emotional, it surpassed that realm. And the fact that Kagome had had a "taste" of her mate and they were now official enemies? Major disaster.

Sango already knew where this would surely lead. Though with Kagome's stubbornness and hidden vulnerability, you could never be sure.

"If it makes you feel better, he's feeling the same way you do."

Huffing, Kagome crossed her arms and turned her pained gaze away. She felt drained, like she lacked the energy to fight this fight, and this was just the third week without him. Under normal circumstances she would have told no one, but this time, just this time she needed support. This meeting at the café, it was her admission that she was hurting, that she was fragile. And Sango understood.

"So what are you going to do?"

Focusing on her friend again, Kagome's expression become one thing: steely.

"Fight this until my last breath is drawn, of course."

•.••.•o

His eyes were closed and his favorite leather chair didn't seem as comfortable anymore, but fuck it.

_Fuck it._

He kept saying that. It was hard not to, when all he ever thought about these days was her face, her voice, her naked body, the way she bit her lower lip and scrunched her eyes shut when he thrust inside her just hard enough.

_Fuck. It._

Heat licked at him with scorching flames and it even brought about the weakness that always came with fever. But he couldn't get sick. He was a half-demon. Yet the words of his father's ward, Myouga, flashed through his mind.

"_Master Inuyasha, please pay attention," the small flea demon demanded, jumping up and down when the young hanyou preferred to torture a ladybug demon. "Master Inuyasha!"_

"_Get off my case, Myouga. Father needs you."_

"_Your father does not need me, he was the one to send me here. To talk to you. Hey – leave her wings alone!"_

"_They'll grow back anyway," Inuyasha shrugged, having enough experience to know that ladybug demons were weak, but resilient creatures. No matter how much you hurt them, they kept regenerating limbs. What they weren't as good at was retaliation._

"_Master Inuyasha, please listen to me. You father wanted me to tell you about mating."_

"_I know about mating," the young hanyou huffed._

"_Yes – I mean no, no you don't. You know what it means, yes, but not what it entails. Master Inuyasha, you will probably find your mate in the future, and you have to be prepared."_

_Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha grunted, "Fine, say what you want and then leave me alone."_

"_Very well," the bug settled. "When you find your mate, it will be a powerful feeling. You might not recognize it at first, but you will instinctively be drawn to her. Your demon side will try to surface, the way it did when young Lord Sesshomaru challenged you two years ago."_

_Scowling at the memories, Inuyasha flicked off the ladybug, going in search of another. Without wings, this one was boring. It would take some time until they grew back._

"_And then you will want to mate with her. The mating ritual is done during intimacy and it means the sharing of each other's life energy. This is done through a bite you will place on her neck while in the act, and your energies will meld. It is not an ordinary bite, because subconsciously your demon side will place its signature in that bite, leaving a mark on the woman you choose. And very important, Master Inuyasha," the flea said._

"_Hn."_

"_If you meet your mate but do not go through with the ritual, all kinds of bad things will happen. There is no telling where that type of a situation would lead, but suffice to say there is no recorded case of a pair of mates that know each other and are not together. That cannot be. Their bodies force them to come together."_

"_Cum together?" Inuyasha smirked, turning his head to look at his father's most loyal servant, taunting cheekily._

_Rolling his eyes, Myouga jumped off the leaf he'd stood on._

"_I see you're busy torturing defenseless creatures, Master Inuyasha. Don't let me stop you."_

_With that, the flea was gone._

He didn't know what the side effects of being without his mate were, but he felt abnormally close to being sick. It had become truly unsettling two weeks ago, when he'd woken up one morning after an intense dream of _her_ and had missed her so baldy it had hurt. An ache had taken residence in his chest, spreading all the way to his toes. The pain had been physical, not imaginary, not dramatic, no. Palpable, real.

"Sir, Akitoki Houjo wants to talk to you."

Blinking at the voice of his secretary, Inuyasha pressed a button on the phone. "bring him in."

Immediately, a fragile looking young man entered the office, holding a pile of folders and papers.

"Takahashi, Sir, I have bad news."

Paling, Inuyasha had an idea what he was going to say, and none of it made sense.

o•.•oo.o•.•

Livid, the full demon crushed his mobile phone in his hand.

"What do you mean, Higurashi is right?"

Sighing, Inuyasha gathered the two folders he needed and held them out to his brother, who took and opened them furiously.

"Akitoki was in charge of our private investigation, and found some well-disguised glitches. Look at this," he said, pointing at some figures. "Missing. See? Missing, missing, and missing. And it gets better. See this order?"

Appalled, Sesshomaru frowned. "Why does PestOFF's name appear on our suppliers list? We do not use pesticides."

Grinning despite the gravity of the situation, Inuyasha nodded. "Exactly."

"Someone is behind this. Someone from _our_ company used _our_ name to sign a contract with PestOFF. How did it pass our sight?" Sitting down at his computer, the older brother typed away. "Inuyasha, we have a traitor. Who is behind this farce?"

"You're gonna love this," he said, "The only one who has this level of clearance is-"

"Onigumo Naraku," they both said at the same time, nodding.

"So where's the fucker?" Inuyasha asked.

"He's on vacation. Didn't mention where."

"Ok, well, how about we pay him a visit?"

"Oh, I have a better idea," Sesshomaru announced, grinning in a way that send shudders down the half-demon's back.

"What? What's your plan?"

"Dear brother, we are going to, hold on," he said, typing something on the computer. "There. We are going to 'modify' our documents so there is no trace of anything. We are going to go through all the logs, all the tapes, everything we have in our records about this issue, and erase it. Our priority is clearing our reputation and making that Higurashi wench look bad."

Something gripped Inuyasha's heart and squeezed, making it hard to focus on his brother's words.

"With Naraku we'll deal when everything else is settled. What we need now is to lay low, preferably under the radar, so discretion is our best move. All our records, documents, everything, have always been open to the public, and when they see that they're not what Higurashi claims they are, there will be hell. For her, of course." The full demon smirked, confidence showing in every syllable he uttered. "And you, Inuyasha, will be our greatest asset in taking her down."

"Yeah?" the half-demon asked, his voice worn.

"Yes."

Inuyasha figured he shouldn't let his brother know about his the whole mates thing. He'd had a few hours to really reflect on the situation and take in the meaning of it. Kagome was truly innocent, completely not a mean bitch as he'd previously thought, and now they were going to destroy her. She stood no chance in front of a massive company like theirs; they were backed by hundreds of smaller firms and lawyers, while she was a mere nutritionist, albeit renowned, but how fierce could her background be?

He wanted to believe there was a way for both parties to come out unscathed, but there was none. If they were to admit their glitch, it would mean a disastrous failure on their part and would result in such a decrease in clients, that he didn't know if they could ever recover after such a blow.

The only way was Sesshomaru's. He knew that. Dammit, he knew that, but why did it feel so _wrong_?

•.••.•o

The confrontation was in five minutes. Inhaling deeply, Kagome nodded at Sango's encouraging words, not really feeling the optimism her friend was trying to give her.

"You have your facts, and when they check, they'll find everything exactly where you said. You've got them right where you wanted, Kagome, now don't back out because of Inuyasha."

"I won't," she said, and gave her friend a hug.

Shaking her head, she entered the set.

A huge round of applause ensued, and her heart went crazy when Inuyasha sat on the couch, as well.

"Good morning, United States, this is Kagura Kaze. I'm bringing you the best story of the month – the war, as it has been dubbed, between the giant BioFoodz and famous nutritionist, Higurashi Kagome. This looks like a fight to the death and you won't believe the tension that's on this set. Let's see how this goes!" Turning around, Kagura smiled and sat on an armchair.

"My guests today are Higurashi Kagome," Kagome smiled and nodded, "you all know Kagome, and Takahashi Inuyasha, spokesman for BioFoodz and half-owner along with his older brother, Takahashi Sesshomaru. So, Kagome, let's start with you. What is your side of the story? Because BioFoodz seems to be claiming your statements are all lies."

"I took the liberty to scan the folders I found in their archives, which are available to the public by the way, so anyone can check, and look what I've found."

Inuyasha turned around to look at the same contract he'd made disappear. It stretched on the entire wall, clear for everyone to see. But that piece of evidence, although legit, didn't exist anymore.

A gasp echoed in the large room as the audience saw PestOFF's name clearly next to BioFoodz.

"As you can see," Kagome continued, "BioFoodz is not the company they'd like us to believe it is. One of our country's leading bio products company is, in fact, a fraud. People can never be careful enough when someone claims they're clean, can they?"

Avoiding Inuyasha's look, although she felt his gaze on her, Kagome tried not to suffocate. Her palms were sweaty, her breath heavy, and every particle in her body wanted her to jump in the half-demon's arms. It took an awful amount of will not to.

"Can I have the word now?" Inuyasha asked, clearing his mind of all thoughts and emotions. He was going to do this, and his act was going to be spotless.

"Please do, Mister Takahashi."

"Call me Inuyasha," he said with a smirk, the kind that always caught the audiences. He could see and hear people whispering, most of them were confused, some angry, some disbelieving. So far, so good. "Well, I don't know where Miss Higurashi got her evidence from, but there is no such thing in our records _or_ in PestOFF's. I invite anyone to check with our archives and PestOFF's, because we have convinced them to make them public, something that was not easily achieved, mind you, so here you go. We had nothing to do with PestOFF, PestOFF is willing to vouch for the same thing, so I'm quite curious how Miss Higurashi, here, is going to explain her lie. It's not a rare occurrence that people will try to increase their popularity and account figures by bringing down others, but BioFoodz will remain standing, because our dignity is, as always, intact."

Turning her head at the hanyou, Kagome couldn't believe her ears. Blood froze in her veins at the realization that these people had covered everything up. There was clearly not a trace of that contract, and if she demanded an analysis of their products, they would surely win this battle, too, by paying off the ones who made the analysis.

But she couldn't bow to them. She needed some time to figure out what to do. For now she just had to argue and hold her case until the show was over. If only she didn't feel like kissing him so badly.

o•.•oo.o•.•

"It went worse than I could have ever imagined, Sango! I barely held my ground there, I can't believe I was so stupid as to believe they're not as influential as they are. Jesus..."

Pursing her lips against her friend's shoulder, Kagome leaned further into the embrace.

"You couldn't have known, Kagome. Now he's a bigger asshole. Oh, girlfriend, why did you have to find yourself such a horrible mate?"

Raising her head and revealing puffy, but dry eyes, Kagome sighed.

"I need him, Sango. And I'll admit that any day. I seriously feel sick most of the time, I just want to be in his arms. But then he went and did everything to hurt me and take away the only important thing I have, which is my reputation, my dignity. He humiliated me on the screen, Sango, and I can't get over that. But I'm afraid, I fear... I'm afraid I'd open my arms for him as soon as the opportunity arises."

Lifting an eyebrow, Sango tried to cheer her up, teasing, "open your arms or your legs?"

Punching her shoulder, Kagome smiled a bit. "Shut up, you hoe."

"That's my girl, you should smile like that more. Baby girl, all's not lost. You still got me and I'll help you. I swear to God I'll help you."

"How?"

"Umm... don't know yet. We'll figure that out, okay?"

•.••.•o

It was late and Kagome couldn't sleep. Sango had left about half an hour before, and Kagome felt more alone than ever before. She tried taking her mind off the whole thing, but quickly found that it was impossible. The number of her followers had decreased to 275,000 in just one day. That was ridiculous. And very much _his_ fault.

When the bell rang, her annoyance kicked in. She knew she'd said she felt alone, but she actually_ wanted_ to be alone. Sango's smothering nature was to be appreciated, but not all the time.

Opening the door, she frowned, "What, San-?"

The question died on her lips as she faced a ghost. Or what she hoped was a ghost.

"Not Sango," _he_ murmured before grabbing her shoulder and pushing her against the wall before closing the door with his free hand. She'd thought he'd kiss her, but instead he was staring at her with something akin to smoldering fire, his forehead propped against hers. It made her veins ignite, as well.

"I really tried to fight this," he said, the irony of his desperate attempts to push her out of his mind weighing heavily on his ego. He'd wanted to forget about her touch, about her scent, about the feel of her. He'd wanted to hate her, to care nothing about her, but he'd lost. He'd lost that fight even before it had started, and now he could see it clearly.

She said nothing, but just having her there, eyes hooded and lips parted, made him feel like a blazing volcano, seconds away from erupting.

His lips took hers, tongue slipping into her hot mouth and tasting this woman that was made for him, knowing that she couldn't help any of it. She was powerless to stop his wonderful assault on her senses, and he was going to knowingly take advantage of this.

His hands traveled down her body, mapping her curves fervently, knowing he would not last long. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the bed and quickly undressed her and himself, not even once worrying about her lack of reaction.

Her chest heaved in rhythm with her sharp breathing and his eyes were drawn to her breasts, her erect nipples, her perfection. He wanted to devour her.

His eyes flashed red.

Unafraid, Kagome brushed her fingers against the fading stripes across his cheeks, mindless of her nudity. There was nothing going on in her head, no thought sequence, nothing that would hinder this joining, because she needed it. For once, she wanted to do the reckless thing. She wanted to do something she would have otherwise never ever done.

She needed to give in.

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha appeared to be growling. She stepped closer, until their chests touched, her nipples against his hard flesh.

Red eyes opened, the stripes back in their bright glory, and Inuyasha pushed her against the bed.

Surprised, Kagome climbed with her back against the headboard, drawing her knees together. He had such a look of raw, animalistic passion, that she hesitated.

Longer fangs poked from under his upper lip. Inuyasha was past the point of cognitive ability as his only thought was making Kagome his. He needed this woman to belong to him. He needed to complete the ritual, needed to share that energy that he could feel in her, needed to be a part of it, a part of her.

Growling loudly, he climbed on the bed in front of her, smirking at the sound of her heart beating wildly. Her bare breasts moved up and down, screwing with his brain. It sounded like a scared bird awaiting its demise. But he knew Kagome did not feel that kind of apprehension. Her anticipation was of something else, something more primal, an experience that would bind them in a way she could not yet imagine.

She was a serious mindfuck, this woman.

Her knees were pressed together so tightly that they were getting white, but he easily pushed them apart, spreading her legs and pulling her to him, settling against her, skin on skin, hot flesh against hot flesh. He rubbed his aching cock against her wet folds, relishing her loud moan. It sounded divine, like she was in heaven and in agony at the same time. Dainty hands scratched his chest and his abs flexed, a drip of precum getting lost in her moisture.

Pressing his forehead against her temple, he breathed heavily in her ear, pushing two fingers inside her, making her squirm in pleasure. Her hands flew to his head, tangling in his hair, gripping and squeezing and pulling, lost in a world of addiction. Her back arched off the sheets and he pulled back a bit, admiring the sight of a goddess feeding off his energy. Exchange of power happened continuously, and he wondered if she could feel it. It visibly electrified her, triggering something in her that he'd never felt in anyone else.

The beauty in front of him bit her lip as the waves of a delicious climax washed over her. A few moments later she settled down, her eyes opening slowly. Without words or expression, her legs wrapped around his waist tightly, tempting him with perfect curves and smooth skin gliding against his.

His breath caught in his throat when her hands gripped him and guided him inside her just an inch.

Lying back down, Kagome licked her lips, her eyes holding his red gaze.

"Take me."

As soon as the words left her lips, a savage growl escaped his as he thrust deeply inside her warmth, eyes rolling to the back of his head. Again and again, he brought her closer to heaven. His fangs instinctively sank into the flesh where her neck met her shoulder, and she didn't even whimper. This woman was temptation, a living sin, and he was indulging.

Her mind soon became an inconsistent jumble of _Oh's_ and _Ugh's_ and _Please's_ – she couldn't think.

The synergy between them was almost tangible now, as the exchange of life forces occurred naturally.

He growled against her skin as his body was filled with this incredible power, and thrust faster, deeper, _more._ She cried out, his left hand cupping her breast and squeezing. Her mouth a perfect O, Kagome sought the headboard behind her, bracing against it as he pushed her further into the mattress, touching something inside her she hadn't known existed.

Roaring viciously, he stopped all motion, ignoring her frustrated grunt, and smoothly flipped her over before pushing inside her once again, now picking up a speed he couldn't have reached in the previous position.

Kagome braced her hands against the mattress, everything feeling ten times better than before. She was so close to a wild orgasm that it was mind-blowing. Her right hand went to fondle her breast for a moment, the sight driving the demon behind her crazy, before she grabbed the headboard to keep her balance.

"Please," she whispered, _stop this torture._

Biting her mark, Inuyasha's heart resonated with hers as she screamed abruptly, driving him over the edge along with her. Together, they shared the most incredible experience of unity, as though neither existed outside the other. His cum shot deeply inside her, making her shiver and open her eyes lethargically. Dropping her hand to the mattress, she felt the demon collapse against her, drawing her with him. They rode out the waves that followed, breathing heavily in the aftermath.

When they calmed down, he pulled out of her warmth reluctantly, his eyes glistening at the sight of their joined fluids trailing down her thighs.

God, she was his undoing.

Turning around, she regarded him seriously with eyes that divulged nothing.

"Okay," she said, her voice weak, "where do we go from here?"

Swallowing thickly, he thought about it. He couldn't be without her, anymore. He needed her.

"Can we be enemies at day and lovers at night?"

Staying quiet, Kagome tried to read his eyes. This time they lacked that confidence he'd had at Kagura's show. They seemed genuine, he seemed really there.

"You hurt me, Inuyasha."

Looking away, he sat up, his back against the headboard, fingers playing with her hair.

"I know," he said, "I was an idiot. I'll always be an idiot." He turned his gaze look at her, trying to tell her something she didn't know if she understood. "But I belong to you now," he told her, forgetting about BioFoodz, about Naraku, about Sesshomaru – forgetting everything except her and her happiness.

"Inuyasha, that's not enough. I couldn't fight this either," she disclosed, reminding him of his words when he arrived. "But I won't be your toy. At least, I like to believe I won't. Just... don't make me do this," she begged, showing him the most vulnerable part of her. This was her Achilles' heel. He could use her in any way he wanted, and this was her biggest weakness. He understood that. If he wanted to make a slut out of her, _his_ slut, he would. She was asking him, _begging_ him, to show mercy.

Smiling, he saw Kagome's purity, her raw spirit for what it was. And he wanted to protect her, he wanted to shield this scared child inside of her from the evils of the world. Even from himself.

And he knew exactly how.


End file.
